


Bad Days

by ThereIsNoTragedyInThat



Series: Spirits and Cocaine [34]
Category: Narcos (TV)
Genre: Bad Days, Bathing/Washing, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, I like this, I wish I could draw it, Idiots in Love, M/M, One Shot, Short & Sweet, Soft Javier Peña
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-19
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-27 23:08:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30130290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThereIsNoTragedyInThat/pseuds/ThereIsNoTragedyInThat
Summary: Steve found himself reluctant to get up and leave this small sanctuary they had managed to carve themselves.
Relationships: Steve Murphy/Javier Peña
Series: Spirits and Cocaine [34]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2100027
Comments: 7
Kudos: 17





	Bad Days

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Bath

Steve sighed heavily, head tilted back until it rested against the tiles behind him, edge of the tub digging into his neck. He shifted a little bit, trying to ease the dull ache in his back but despite the way his legs were curled up to fit in the tight space, arm hanging over the side, he found himself more relaxed than he’d been in a very long time.

His hair was plastered to his forehead, a thin sheen of sweat glistening against the parts of his chest, arms, and knees that hadn’t managed to be dunked beneath the now tepid water. Despite that, the bathroom still seemed thick with the cloying, damp steam from earlier, mixing obnoxiously with the thicker smoke drifting from Javier’s cigarette.

Watching through half-closed eyes, Steve felt a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Javier sat, back against the wall, shirt long-since abandoned looking the most serene he’d ever seen him. His elbow rested on one knee, other leg stretched out in front him, taking heavy drags and exhaling on deep sighs.

The door was closed firmly, a couple of towels bunched up to cover the too wide crack along the bottom, window thrown wide open in a futile attempt to keep the smoke alarm from going off. Javier had already balanced precariously on a chair to take out the batteries on the one in the kitchen after a few too many disastrous meals. Still, they hadn’t thought to do the same to the one in the hallway until they’d already settled in.

They’d had a difficult day, few to many hits for them to just go home and shrug off. A wild foot chase through the streets had left them bruised and scratched, defeat sitting like poison on their tongues. So, they’d sequestered themselves into this cramped little room, hiding away from the world and pretending for a few precious moments that that they were okay.

Steve flexed his hand, reached out until his fingers brushed against his knee, got an arched eyebrow for his efforts, “you ready to get out now?”

He should, his skin was pruning and eventually he’d start catching a chill, he really, really should. Instead, he shook his head, stretched that little bit further until Javier relented with a fond shake of his head and reached for his hand. Their fingers tangled together and his warmth seemed to seep into his palm and travel up his arm, making him sigh.

Steve wasn’t used to this and he wasn’t really sure what to do with himself these days. Javier, he’d discovered, could be incredibly attentive. The man had a way about him that went beyond the usual gruff exterior, that made it clear he felt responsible for the people in his life and Steve often found himself helpless in the face of it, uncertain how exactly to do the same thing for him. That didn’t stop him from trying of course.

He let his gaze wander over Javi’s form, his bare chest with sweat beaded against his skin, the curls of his hair becoming more pronounced from the steam, clinging to his forehead. His face was flushed, an enticing shade on his skin and Steve smiled widely as Javier stared right back unabashedly.

“What are you staring at?” Javier finally murmured, squeezing his hand.

“Nothing.”

He arched that damn eyebrow again, amusement glittering in the darkness of his eyes and Steve was quickly learning that there were very few things he could keep to himself when it was Javier asking him. That might be a problem one day, maybe, but he doubted it. Sighing, Steve shifted so he could get a firmer grip on his hand and tugged gently.

“Seriously?” he muttered around his cigarette.

Steve just pulled again, chuckled when the man grumbled, pressing what was left of it into the ashtray before moving onto his knees. He shuffled closer at Steve’s behest, muttering more loudly, “I’m getting too old for this shit Murphy,” finally came to a stop next to the tub.

“You weren’t complaining when you blew me at work,” he pointed out just to see Javi’s eyes narrow, mouth opening to no doubt insult him, so Steve move quickly to stop him.

Letting go of his partner’s hand, Steve reached up to tangle his hands in Javi’s hair, guided him down until he could cup his cheek with the other and kissed him soundly. Water sloshed over the side of the tub as Steve moved closer, no doubt soaking Javier’s pants but the man didn’t complain, just hummed against him mouth, cupped the nape of his neck like he was worried Steve might pull away from him.

It wasn’t particularly heated; they were both too exhausted for that. Instead, it was a long moment of shared breath, of the indescribable comfort of their skin touching, the quiet sparks of affection until they finally parted, eyes squeezed closed.

“What was that for?” Javier asked quietly.

“Nothing.”

He laughed, the sound low and hearty, and then he was tilting Steve’s chin up, prompting him to open his eyes. Javier’s eyes were shiny, the dim bathroom lights reflected in them and his lips were pulled up in the slightest of smiles as he just looked. Steve felt himself fall impossibly further in love with the man in front of him.

“Definitely time to get out,” he declared.

“What?”

Javi chuckled, “you’re half-asleep, I can tell by your eyes. If I leave you in there any longer, you’ll drown.”

Steve sighed, did not relish the prospect of climbing out of the tub and stepping out of the bathroom. There was something almost childish about it, a reluctance to face the real world just beyond the plain wooden door, to leave behind the sense of peacefulness they’d managed to carve out of this one, single, moment in time.

Javi stood with a low groan, wincing a little as he pushed off the hard floor and made his way to the counter, tugging out a towel from the pile sitting precariously on the edge. He tossed it to the floor where the water had spilled before grabbing another. When he returned, he put out his hands, palms up and Steve reached out to tangle them together. He couldn’t hide away forever and so long as Javier was with him, it wouldn’t be so bad.


End file.
